

This is often more common in high-energy breeds, such as Border Collies, German Shepherds, Greyhounds, and Belgian Malinois.

Some dogs need more enrichment in their lives than we provide because of work and family commitments. Often in the wild dogs would pull their food to a separate place to eat in peace and safety. This can be caused by them not liking a certain aspect of their bowls, such as material (metal) or smell.Īnother cause could be if they are eating in a group with other dogs. Your dog would rather not eat out of a bowl This can be because their tags or collars bang against the bowl making an unpleasant sound.Īlso, it might be because your dog is wary of its reflection, which it is not used to being able to see.Ģ. Other Behaviors to Watch for While Your Dog is Feeding If you suspect heartworm medication may be the culprit of your dog’s recent head bobbing, contact your vet about possible solutions.Īlso write down the name of the medicine, so that you do not use it again in the future. This has not been thoroughly studied but has been noted by many vets. Head bobbing can occur shortly after an administration of heartworm medicine. Your vet can direct you to the best supplement for your dog. Non-idiopathic head bobbing has been known to tie in with puppies having low calcium levels. If it is related to low glucose levels you can rub a small amount of corn syrup or honey on your dog’s gums to fix their blood sugar levels. If it persists past one or two times, contact your vet. This can be a common cause in dogs that are lactating or having hormonal issues. Vets will frequently recommend ignoring the head bobbing unless it impacts your dog’s quality of life.īreeds Known to be Affected by “idiopathic head tremors” There is no known medical cause for this behavior. However, some breeds develop what is called “idiopathic head tremors,” which can suddenly appear and you have no idea why they occur. Others will develop a tendency to bob their heads as puppies, but will slowly outgrow it. Some dogs will bob their head right before eating and then act as if nothing is different. The main thing to worry about your dog’s head bobbing before eating is when you are determining the cause. When You Should Worry About Your Dogs Head Bobbing

Kicking up grass or dirt after going to the bathroom.Circling their bed before they lay down.

Here is a list of different instinctual behaviors that many dogs exhibit Regularly it can be caused by something outside of their control or as a reaction to something. However, if your dog is older, then you might want to investigate why they have begun this routine. This is often a routine that they have established when they are preparing to eat. Many dogs begin to bob their heads at a young age, around 6 months, and will continue to do so till they are over 3 years old. Heading Bobbing can be an Instinctual Behavior for Dogs Think about when you let them out the back door or take them on a walk.ĭo they always go to the same spot first?ĭogs, just as humans, have routines that they do every day and many of these routines focus on what they do with and around their food. If your dog has just started doing this it is recommended that you contact your vet to make sure they don’t have any concerns.ĭogs have hundreds of routines that they do each and every day. We all know the person that can only eat one item on their plate at a time before moving on to the next item.ĭogs are very similar in that they will have routines they perform when eating.įrequently times these can be strange to us, such as our canine friend bobbing their head up and down or side-to-side right before eating.ĭogs will often bob their head before eating because it is a routine that they have been doing their whole life. You will oftentimes find that your dog has little routines that it does before, during, and after eating, just like people. Have you ever sat and watched your dog eat their food?
